Old highway garage to get a new lease on life
By Debbie Lowe Staff writer

Amid verbal protests from residents plus a letter of objection from the builders of BridgeView Condominiums on Lake Freeman, the Area Plan Commission voted unanimously to recommend to rezone land on US421, just south of Lake Freeman.

The 421 Storage request at the March 27 evening meeting was to zone property occupied by the old highway garage Business 1 from Lake Resort 1.

An attorney representing the co-owners of 421 Storage reported the building would be renovated and converted to storage units, warehouse and office space. According to the attorney, a potential tenant is a modular home sales team, which would erect two display models on site.

"I could live with a storage type of building," said neighbor Randy Meyer. "But any type of manufacturing in this residential area should not be allowed."

Meyer said the possibility that the land could be developed into a strip mall was also not acceptable.

"We don't need that type of property there," he said.

Meyer further objected to what he considered to be a lack of advertisement for the re-zoning request. He indicated that more residents would have attended the meeting had they known about the action and if the meeting was not held during the week of spring break.

Carroll County Commissioners made the final decision to re-zone the land at the Monday morning, April 2, meeting. Comprehensive Land Use Plan

County zoning administrator Dale Huffer announced the "next step" for the development of the plan was "interest group interviews."

He said Ground Rules Inc., the firm hired to develop the plan, recommended that no more than 20 individuals participate in each group. Huffer verbally listed community groups that would be solicited to participate.

Huffer said no date was set for the next meeting. APC member John Hampton suggested a two-week notice be issued to allow time for participants to make plans to attend.

Huffer said Ground Rules representatives suggested interest groups be issued written invitations approximately 10 days prior to the meeting.

Huffer said he would be making the decision about which individuals to invite to represent the various groups. He said from the groups, steering committee members would be chosen to guide Ground Rules in the actual development of the plan.

Other business

APC member Stan Moore was granted pre-approval to build a subdivision in Burlington.

Greg Jacobs' re-zoning request for the Windward Development in Jefferson Township was tabled. Information requested from Jacobs has not been received by Huffer.

"I've received no information or had any contact," Huffer reported.

The next APC meeting will be April 24 at 7 p.m.